Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-08-19
A FEW PUZZLES.
SOME cURlOUSLY ADDRESSED LEY
TIERS THAT CONE TO NEW YORK.
THE Blind Man" and His PerpIexinC
Work Of Correcting the Blunders OF
Stupid, Ignorant or Careless People I'm
All Parts of the World.


Stupid, Ignorant or Careless People In
All Parts of the World.
In the New York postofIlce there Is an
employe whose name is Stone, but who is
generally known as the Blind Man He
has answered 10 that title for thirty-onc
years, but his eyesight is as keen as n
falcons. 1t is partly because of his keen
ness OF vision and partly because OF the
remarkable aptitude he has developed for
deciphering hierogyphical directions on
letters that he has been given the title,
which, more correctly expressed, would
read, the MAN Who Decphers Blind Di-
rections.n
The work OF the Blind Man has now
grown so large that half dozen assist
ants are kept busy porting over directories
OF all the principal cities in this country
and Europe. Lists Of firms, individuals
and streets are also looked through.
These have accumulated during n third
Of century, but the directories are
mostly old, rs the government is too
penurious TO provide new directories
upon requisition. The ''blind dcpart-
ment' received in one day flfty-four reg
istered letters which the regular clerks
could do nothing with.
! bld DAl WORK.
The blind man and his assistants have
studied ont 100 blind directions in ordi-
nary letters in one day Those that prove
| undecipherable are sent TO the dead letter
| Office at Washington. Most of the puz-
zles come from abroad. but bankers and
| brokers in New York and other large cities.
! Assistant Postmaster Gaylor says, are the
most frequent sinners. Hundreds Of
| letters como from Rrpok1,-n ,1o,.
New York that are intended for Brooklyn
parties, hut only New York has been
written under the names on the face Of
the envelopes Bank people are some.
times very careless writers. and their let
tiers 20 astray often because the direction
looks like something for which il is not
intended Not long ago, letter sent by
a country bank 10 city bank, and con-
tanning SIC, O0G, did not turn up. Ii was
directed - II. Perkins, Cashier, y. y"
1t was sought in vain for many DAYS, |
until at last Mr.. Gaylor, in looking closely !
at the writing OF the cashier that directed |
the missing letter, surmised that his |
cashier might have been mistaken for |
Catskill, and sure enough upon writing |
10 the Catsldll pOstOiicc that proved to be |
the case, FOR the $4,000 letter was lying |
in the pigeon hole of that Office awaiting |
call.
Another letter had such n clumsilv
written Yonkcrs upon ito face that il did |
not reach that city, only fourteen miles
away, until it had been to Turkey and
back. Another instance Of careless writ
ing that made much amusement for an
interested English nobleman was on a
letter intended for j. Smith, Des Moines,
Iowa. The letters were run together so |
curiously that they were supposed to read:
Delmonicos, Town. II was sent to the
great restaurateur, and remained with
him till Delmonco sent it back with the
remark that j. Smith did not board with
him.
SOME FOREIGN LETTERS.
\ favorite style of directing with foreign
ers seems to be of this order:
solomon, merchant tailor, clothes
cleaned repaired and altered, l22 Maison
ave, Amerika." Another read: "Herrn
George Wolf bought Of James Kreink.
dealer in staple and fancy groceries, fruits,
vegetables, oysters in season, No. l,0l5
West seventeenth St, cor. Randolph"
These are copied from billheads, and give
everything except the most essential point
of all, the name of the place.
Very few know in how many ways
Pennsylvania can be spelled Here are n
few specimens Pennavainei. Pencilvania.
Pen :. Nena, Pennsylvania, Penselmein,
Bersicvania, Pennalsevcna, Pannsylva-
inia, Pennsilvaia, Rensclwanna
Here are few occasional spcllings: Bit.
joisi for Ocean Beach, y. j. Mnasetta
for Minnesota, Paccyck for Passaic New
jaarse, New Cert and New Gcrcy for
New Jersey, Oio and Ohio for Ohio SRA ,
kus for Syracuse
An envelope has this: Il shall ask You :.
10 please send back the letters received ',
when nod at home and which don't got. D." :,
Another writes: ~ can too little English
Tor tell you what mean Have sent !. .
you letter on Swiss packet to Mr.. - by :
he factory OF the L. :. in Jarsey City.
Tie Will my mouthpiece be with you" :,
As examples Of deciphering take this =
Mrs Frank N. =
Stouder. .
y. Ras hell u
The blind man translates it into "Mrs. :,
Crank VI. Stouder, New Rochelle" :,
And this: :,
Paul Capcttc, IL !,
Vestra. -
Which was sent TO Ilaverstraw. ,
Here IS regular jawbreaker OF name =,
nd n decidedly mixed direction: ~
Kricz IIollyak 81
Czim hlct, =,
Fraouth river. :,
Neville koutie, -
America. d.
In cash case cited the full address found &c
pom the letter has been given. These Sc. 81
'ctions were made from the nccumula. VI
ons OF ono full day and part Of another, ="
18th the exception Of the two mentioned ~
y Mr. Gaylor, which passed through the
illce some time before. Each day brings 'r
etwccn 1000 and 1000 letters equally
Dscure, which are studied out with great IN
IRE. About 10 per cent. are sent to the -
Fad letter office; the remainder reach Ut
ieir destinations.-New York Mail and pc
Xpress. 81
---- Dir
He Kept StiU. IN
Didn't you pay fare twice." asked l,i
ass avenue car conductor rs he returned :"
an old man at the front IF the car. ny
YES sir hu
why didn't you say you had paid WI
hen came the second timer no
'Oh, | bilkcl this road of n rido oLout nd